Adjustable decorated ceiling



(No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet 1.' J. SUT HERLAND.

ADJUSTABLE DEGORATED CEILING, 6m.

Patented Sept. 21, 1886 N PETERS Pholo-Lilhogmplwn Washington, D. c

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

J. SUTHERLAND.

ADJUSTABLE DEGORATED CEILING, &o. No. 349,375. Patented Sept. 21, 1886;

will v I jwan/or flwaRgs/ey UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES SUTHERLAND, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK.

ADJUSTABLE DECORATED CEILING, 86C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,375,dated September 21, 1886.

Application filed January $1, 1886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES SUTHERLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Method of Construction and Decorating the Walls and Ceilings of Houses, of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore decorating of walls and ceilings of houses has been done either with paper or with stencil and brush, or by hand, or more recently in hard woods, each of which are subject to serious objections.

My invention consists in creating a complete covering for walls and ceilings in adjustable sections, convenient for handling, painted and finished according to the design of the artist or architect before any portion is placed in the room; and by this method the most elaborate designs can be executed on the easel in the studio of the artist, and all working over the head with the brush is avoided, and better and more successful execution secured at a very considerable decrease in price.

I take well-seasoned half-inch boards of any ordinary wood and cut them in narrow strips, and tongue and groove the edges and glue them together about the size of a member of the design required, or of sizes convenient for handling, to be cut afterward in the shape of the various members of the design. I place across the back of these boards strips of wood or hoop-iron screwed to them to hold all the parts in perfect position. The face or inward side of this section is smoothed on a revolving sand-board, The section is then cut and fitted to its place in the design. I then paint the sections all over with lead and oil and stretch canvas over this smooth surface and fasten the edges firmly with tacks, and then the cloth is given other coats of lead and oil, until a perfect adhesion to the board and a smooth ground is produced on the whole surface. Upon this section is painted the design re.- quired by the plan. When all the sections are painted, decorated, and dry, they are placed in position on the ceiling or wall and secured by screws or nails to the beams, studding, or furring. The joints of the sections are covered with such moldings and rosettes as the design requires. These moldings and rosettes may be of any material that the fancy Serial No.187,339. (No model.)

of the designer may dictate, such as wood,

leather, paper, or metal.

' The object of my invention is to secure more elaborate and artistic decoration, cheapen construction, avoid the smell of paint in the house, and dispense entirely with the tedious operation of overhead hand-painting in dwellings, and also avoid the dropping of paint on the. floor.

My construction can be applied to walls and ceilings already plastered,with or without removing the same, and can be applied to a new building, dispensing with all lathing and plastering, using thick paper for deafening purposes,when necessary. The various members which comprise the ceiling or wall are adj ustable, and can be taken down and repainted and ornamented with new designs at any time. Decorated beams may be formed of any size required to cover the joints in the sections, also in sections and members and decorated in the studio. I thus secure better artists and more perfect execution, and at a great reduction of expense.

I do not depend upon a plastered. ceiling or wall to which to attach my sections. I attach them to the timbers or furring with or without plastering, and I do away with the necessity of plastering altogether. I avoid and p revent all falling of plaster from any cause with my decoration, I strengthen construction, and I do not wish to have my invention confounded with any paper or cloth decorations applied to the plastered ceilings or walls by tacks or paste, or other similar means of adhesion, nor yet with boards placed on the ceiling and canvas then stretched over them and painted to them and decorated afterward; These methods of decoration have been tried without success.

My decorative beams may be of any size or shape; but I prefer and show them square in form. This beam is constructed of narrow well-seasoned boards glued together and sufficiently stifl'ened with braces,covered with canvas tightly stretched and tacked on the inside, and painted and decorated before being placed upon the ceilings or ceiling-j oists. In the decoration of the sections of my ceilings I can ing desi ns on paper or on cloth. I can also,

by using several coats of paint, stamp the sections so as to show the figures somewhat in relief.

I will now describe my invention with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the ceiling in position. Fig. 2 is a eross-section at the line a b, Fig. 1, showing the decoration applied to an old plastered ceilin Fig. 3 shows a cross-section at the line ab, Fig. 1, as applied to a building without plastered or wooden ceiling. Fig. at is a detailed perspective view showing the manner of constructing the sections and the placing of the canvas thereon. A shows the ground-work of the sections. 13 shows the canvas. Cshows strips coveringjoints of sections. D shows rosettes or corner-blocks. A, B, O, andDshowdifferent forms of decoration. 0 shows cross-furring strips. at shows the old lath and plaster on ceiling and side walls. a shows the beams of the ceiling. a I) show the line on which the crosssections are taken. 25 shows thetacks fastening the canvas.

Fig. 5 of the drawings shows the construction of decorative beams. A shows the ceiling; B, the large beams; O, the small beams; and Fig. 6 shows a section of the large beam, and I) shows the canvas; 1), the braces in construction.

I claim also, as an important element of my invention, the strengthening of the building by its use, instead of lath and plastering, or, even, instead of ordinary wooden ceilings, for the reasons that the sections are rendered impervious to water or air by being well seasoned in narrow strips, glued together, eross-furred on the back, and painted, and thus the sections will not shrink, but form, when in position and fastened, a brace in all directions Very like one board covering, and attached in various places to the entire ceiling or wall. It will thus be seen that not only my sections but their moldings and cross-d ecorative beams when placed in position give strength and steadiness to the building and protect it from jarring by wind or storms or any external force or pressure.

Having thus described my invention, the manner of construction and operation,what I clai1n,and desire to obtain Letters Patent for, 1s-

1. An adjustable decorated ceiling or wall composed of sections made of narrow dry boards securely fastened together, painted all over, and covered on its face with canvas or cloth painted to the boards, and decorated as a member of the ceiling or wall before being placed in position, as shown and described.

2. A section or part of a ceiling or wall composed of narrow seasoned boards fastened together and painted and covered with canvas, repainted and decorated in lead and oil, so cut and ornamented as to form part of a ceiling or wall, finished before being placed in position, as shown and described.

3. In an adjustable ceiling or wall composed of sections made of narrow boards joined firmly together and painted of shape to form. members thereof, the canvas or cloth covering painted thereto and decorated before the sections are placed in position, as shown and described.

4. An adjustable ceiling and wall composed of sections made of narrow dry boards, painted and tightly covered on the face with canvas painted to the boards, and decorated according to any design, in combination with moldings, decorated beams, and rosettes of any material covering the joints, all prepared and decorated before being applied to the walls or ceilings, as shown and described.

An adjustable decorated ceiling or wall composed of thin seasoned common matched boards, painted with lead and oil, and covered with canvas on the face side, and decorated in lead and. oil, so cut in portableseetions as to [it tightly, and when in position to strengthen the building as well as ornament the same, as shown and described.

JAS. SUTIIERLAND.

\Vitncsses:

ARNOU'L CANNON, K. J. LAWLOR. 

